Can you help to solve this mystery? The data plate is on an ex-french army Willys MB jeep and is located on the panel in front of the radiator.

It contains the following information:

MARQUE     : WILLYS
TYPE           : MB
CHASSIS     : 14142
PVA              : 0452

There is also a triangle containing the letters AOT possibly ACT

The jeep is definitely ex-french army and an MB. The plate was certainly on the jeep when it was last repainted french army green. There are traces of this left in the lettering (see below)

What does PVA stand for? 
What does the triangle with the initials AOT or ACT signify?
Why was the jeep given a chassis number that is too low for an MB?

It is not the only example of a french army MB jeep with a low chassis number (i.e. less than 100000). I know of at least one other which is apparently MB 01635 and has had this stamped where the army number would be on a Hotchkiss. Again, this other example is certainly a Willys chassis and there is no Hotchkiss serial number!

Solving this mystery could help to explain why there are apparently a number of duplicates in the army number series for M201 jeeps.

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